1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fiber optic connector for interconnecting a fiber optic pin terminus and a fiber optic socket terminus. More specifically, this invention relates to a fiber optic connector which can be interconnected by pushing two connector bodies together and can be disconnected by pulling the connector bodies apart.
2. Description of Related Art
It is often necessary or desirable to optically couple two or more optical fibers. To accomplish this, one of the optical fibers is mounted in a fiber optic pin terminus and another of the fibers is mounted in a fiber optic socket terminus. These termini are constructed so that an end portion of the socket terminus can receive an end portion of the pin terminus to thereby optically couple the optical fibers carried by the termini. A fiber optic connector is utilized to hold or lock the termini in the interconnected position with the optical fibers optically coupled.
Different forms of fiber optic connectors are known. For example, one kind of fiber optic connector includes components which are threaded together to thereby connect the termini and optically couple the optical fibers. Another type of fiber optic connector utilizes a spring loaded bayonet coupling to couple the termini together. Although these prior art connectors are satisfactory for a number of applications, there are situations in which it is desirable to have a fiber optic connector with smaller dimensions and less mass than is reasonably possible with either of these prior art connectors.